Millikin University

Millikin University honored more than 270 graduates from the Class of 2024 with two Commencement ceremonies in the Kirkland Fine Arts Center on Sunday, May 19, 2024. Students from the College of Arts & Sciences and the Tabor School of Business took the stage and received undergraduate and graduate degrees in front of friends and family in the morning ceremony. The College of Professional Studies and the College of Fine Arts did the same in the afternoon.

Millikin honored 95 graduates at the 2023 Winter Commencement at Kirkland Fine Arts Center on December 10, 2023. The ceremony recognized graduates from the College of Professional Studies, College of Arts & Sciences, Tabor School of Business, and the College of Fine Arts. "The first Commencement ceremony honoring the first four-year graduating class occurred in 1907. I'm honored to continue in that tradition and to award 95 degrees today because this ceremony has such significance to our University," Millikin President Jim Reynolds said. "It's the culmination of many years of hard work for our students and families. It is the end of an academic generation and the going forth of educated individuals who will help create a better society for us all to live and work in."

Millikin honored 338 graduates with two in-person Commencement Ceremonies at Kirkland Fine Arts Center on May 21, 2023. The first Commencement Ceremony recognized graduates from the College of Professional Studies and the College of Arts & Sciences. The second ceremony recognized graduates from the Tabor School of Business and the College of Fine Arts. "The first Commencement ceremony honoring the first four-year graduating class occurred in 1907. I'm honored to continue in that tradition and to award 338 degrees today because this ceremony has such significance to our University," Millikin President Jim Reynolds said. "It's the culmination of many years of hard work for our students and families. It is the end of an academic generation and the going forth of educated individuals who will help create a better society for us all to live and work in."

Millikin University is pleased to announce the names of the outstanding undergraduates who have been named to the Dean's List for the Spring 2024 semester. Students who attempt 12 graded credits during a fall or spring semester and earn a grade point average of 3.5 or higher earn Dean's List honors. Students earning a perfect 4.00 grade point average on 12 graded credits attempted earn High Dean's List honors. The students named to the Dean's List at Millikin University are listed in alphabetical order according to last name.

Millikin University is pleased to announce the names of the outstanding undergraduates who have been named to the Dean's List for the Fall 2023 semester. Students who attempt 12 graded credits during a fall or spring semester and earn a grade point average of 3.5 or higher earn Dean's List honors. Students earning a perfect 4.00 grade point average on 12 graded credits attempted earn High Dean's List honors. The students named to the Dean's List at Millikin University are listed in alphabetical order according to last name.

Millikin University is pleased to announce the names of the outstanding undergraduates who have been named to the Dean's List for the Spring 2023 semester. Students who attempt 12 graded credits during a fall or spring semester and earn a grade point average of 3.5 or higher earn Dean's List honors. Students earning a perfect 4.00 grade point average on 12 graded credits attempted earn High Dean's List honors. The students named to the Dean's List at Millikin University are listed in alphabetical order according to last name.

The Millikin University community gathered again for the annual Honors Convocation and Distinguished Faculty Lecture on Thursday, April 25, at Kirkland Fines Arts Center to honor faculty, staff and student accomplishments as the academic year approaches its close. Over 125 awards were presented to Millikin students and faculty who were honored for their commitment to academic excellence. Many awards have been created to distinguish alums from Millikin's past.

The Millikin University community gathered again for the annual Honors Convocation and Distinguished Faculty Lecture on Thursday, April 27, at Kirkland Fines Arts Center to honor faculty, staff and student accomplishments as the 2022-23 academic year approaches its close. Over 90 awards were presented to Millikin students and faculty who were honored for their commitment to academic excellence. Many awards have been created to distinguish alums from Millikin's past.

The Millikin University community gathered again for the annual Honors Convocation and Distinguished Faculty Lecture on Thursday, April 25, at Kirkland Fines Arts Center to honor faculty, staff and student accomplishments as the academic year approaches its close. Over 125 awards were presented to Millikin students and faculty who were honored for their commitment to academic excellence. Many awards have been created to distinguish alums from Millikin's past.

The Millikin University baseball team received the 2021-22 ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award, which is presented by Sports Attack on July 27, 2022. Millikin was one of 700 teams nationwide to be honored. Teams from every level of college and high school baseball were honored with this year's award, which highlights programs coached by ABCA members that posted a GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale for the entire 2021-22 academic year. Over 250 high school programs and more than 420 collegiate programs were recognized with this year's award. Millikin excelled in the classroom and on the field posting a 27-16 record finishing in a three-way tie for second place in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin baseball standings. The American Baseball Coaches Association has a long tradition of recognizing the achievements of baseball coaches and student-athletes. The ABCA/Rawlings All-America Teams are the nation's oldest, founded in 1949, and the ABCA's awards program also includes the ABCA/Rawlings All-Region Awards, the ABCA/ATEC Regional & National Coaches of the Year and several other major awards such as the ABCA Hall of Fame and the Dave Keilitz Ethics in Coaching Award.

Following a tremendous 23-7 season on the court, the 2021-22 Millikin women's basketball is being recognized for its academic performance by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). Millikin received Special Mention recognition after ranking just outside the Top 25 in the WBCA Academic Top 25 for NCAA Division III. The Big Blue had a team grade point average of 3.638 landing just behind a tie for 24th in the ranking at 3.640. On the court, Millikin had a 23-7 record in 2021-2022 sharing the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) regular season title and advancing to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament. Millikin is gearing up for another stellar season on the court and in the classroom. The Big Blue will return to the classroom on August 22 with basketball practice set to begin on October 15. Millikin will open the 2022-23 season on November 8 at Beloit College.

The United States Marine Corps and the American Volleyball Coaches Association announced today that more than 1,200 collegiate and high school volleyball teams have earned the USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award this season. The award, initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors volleyball teams that maintain a year-long grade-point average of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale or 4.1 on a 5.0 scale. The Big Blue volleyball team was named one of the 1,200 squads that earned the academic honors for the 2021-22 academic year. The Millikin women's volleyball team has been honored with the USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award for four years in a row. "Academic achievement doesn't happen by accident," said AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer. "I'm so proud of the hundreds of coaching staffs that make excellence in the classroom a priority." The AVCA, an educationally based nonprofit headquartered in Lexington, KY, is the largest and most diverse volleyball coaches' association in the world. With a broad mandate to develop the sport, the AVCA provides leadership, recognition, advocacy, and professional development opportunities to over 8,000 volleyball coaches. Members include college, high school, club, and youth coaches, and well as a wide variety of product and service providers. Further information is available at www.avca.org.

Millikin men's golfer senior Max Phillips (Salem, H.S.) was named Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholars for NCAA Division III by the Golf Coaches Association of American (GCAA) on July 21. To be eligible for Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar status an individual must be a sophomore, junior or senior academically in Division I, II, III, and NAIA. In addition, they must have a stroke-average under 76.0 in Division I, 78.0 in Division II, 78.0 in NAIA and 79.0 in Division III, and maintain a minimum cumulative career grade-point average of 3.2 and participate in 50 percent of the team's competitive rounds. Phillips averaged 78.47 while turning in an outstanding academic performance earning a bachelor's degree in Chemistry. Phillips will be returning to Millikin this fall to use his final season of eligibility and study in Millikin's MBA program.

Millikin University women's golfers senior Morgan Greene (Eureka, H.S.) and junior Erin Klasing(Okawville, H.S.) were named to the 2021-22 Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) All-American Scholar Team on July 5, 2022. Greene, a Business Management major, and Klasing, a Mathematics (Actuarial Science) major, were among 1,485 women's collegiate golfers recognized with this prestigious honor. The criteria for selection to the WGCA All-American Scholar Team are some of the most stringent in all of college athletics. The minimum cumulative GPA for selection is 3.50. This is the second straight season that Greene and Klasing have earned this honor.

Millikin University's chapter of The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi inducted a total of 17 new members on March 7, 2021. Phi Kappa Phi is the nation's oldest, largest and most selective all-discipline honor society. The Society's mission is to recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others. Its chapters are on more than 300 college and university campuses. Millikin's chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, established in 1950, invites the top students, as well as a limited number of faculty, staff and alumni to join the chapter each year. To become a member of Phi Kappa Phi, senior undergraduates shall be in the upper 10 percent of their class in each college or division. Juniors are drawn from the upper 7.5 percent of their class. Graduate and professional students who have completed one full year of study and are in the upper 10 percent of all candidates for graduate or professional degrees are also eligible for membership. Faculty, administrators, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction, service and leadership also qualify for membership. Every two years the honor society as a whole gives away over more than $1 million to outstanding students, members and chapters. Those inducted into Phi Kappa Phi are qualified for annual grants and awards.

Millikin University's student-run newspaper, the Decaturian, garnered several awards at the annual Illinois College Press Association (ICPA) conference, held March 18-20 in Chicago. The Decaturian took home 17 awards in the under 4,000 circulation category at the ICPA conference, surpassing the Dec's 15 ICPA awards in 2021. As an entire staff, The Decaturian won third place in General Excellence and third in the Sweepstakes category for points earned across all contest categories. Jeana Pierson, a senior English writing major with a criminal justice minor, and editor-in-chief of the Decaturian, earned first place honors for Headline Writing. Sydney Sinks, a senior English writing major, reporter and editor for the Decaturian, earned two first-place awards for her in-depth reporting and a second-place honor for her editorial work. Carin Houser, a sophomore secondary English education major, writer and editor for the Decaturian, won three ICPA awards. Houser earned first place for her Spot News Photo of a firetruck; she was a member of a team that received third place for multimedia reporting, and she won second place for Sports Page Design. Below is the complete list of the Decaturian's Illinois College Press Association award recipients: 1st Place Charlize Pate, Feature Photo (Clock Tower) Jeana Pierson, Headline Writing Sydney Sinks, In-Depth Reporting Sydney Sinks, News Story Mason Hoyt, Column (Music) Carin Houser, Spot Photo (Firetruck) 2nd Place Sports Page Design (Carin Houser) Editorial (Sydney Sinks) 3rd Place Online News Site (All Staff) Multimedia Reporting (Athena Pajer, Carin Houser and Cole Anderson) Sports Column (Brandt Williamson) Sports Game Story (Caleb Buehrle) News Story (Athena Pajer) Honorable Mention Front Page Layout (All Staff) Feature Page Design (All Staff)

Millikin University student attorneys were recognized for their work at the 2022 Model Illinois Government (MIG) Moot Court Competition held March 3-6 at the Wyndham Springfield City Centre in downtown Springfield, Ill. The MIG Moot Court competition simulates arguments at the Illinois Supreme Court level. During the competition, teams of attorneys argue their case before a panel of student justices and legal professionals. This year, five Millikin student attorneys participated in the annual Moot Court Competition. Gillian Beginski, a senior double majoring in philosophy (pre-law track) and political science from Mundelein, Ill., participated on a hybrid team where she was paired with a student from Eastern Illinois University. Beginski's team advanced to the semifinal round of the competition. The team of Collin Budd, a senior majoring in philosophy (pre-law track) from Arcola, Ill., and Olivia Swords, a first-year student from Decatur, Ill., double majoring in philosophy (pre-law track) and English writing, and pursuing a French minor, also advanced to the semifinal round. The team of Hannah Prochnow, a junior double majoring in philosophy (pre-law track) and environmental studies from Bloomington, Ill., and Isabella Voss, a junior majoring in management information systems and pursuing a philosophy pre-law minor from Lockport, Ill., advanced to the final round and took second place overall. In addition to the outstanding team performances, Collin Budd was honored with the individual award for Most Outstanding Attorney. Budd was also elected to serve as Chief Justice for the 2022-23 year. In this capacity, he will provide organizational leadership for the 2023 competition.

Eight political science students from Millikin University attended the 2022 Model Illinois Government (MIG) Simulation March 3-6 which aims to give college students insight into the workings of state government and experience in running for elected office and debate. Students representing Millikin's legislative delegation worked to adapt their debate techniques, lobbying procedures and strategies for running for office, all leading to a successful simulation. Sophomore political science major Rhys Deiter of Fortville, Ind., served as the Attorney General on the organization's executive board for the simulation. Gabby Watson, a junior political science major from Murphysboro, Ill., served as a member of Deiter's staff and assisted with both the MIG journal and original legislation. Students Austin Bicknell, a senior from Bloomington, Ill., and Ana Vidric, were both elected to serve as committee spokespeople during the simulation. Vidric was recognized for her excellence in debate by receiving the Donna Lennon Award for the Most Outstanding Senate Committee Person. Other Millikin students who participated in Model Illinois Government include: Aimable Ngabo, a senior political science major from Kigali, Rwanda Jesse Ngoga, a management information systems major from Kigali, Rwanda Christian Strother, a junior from Cordova, Tenn. Clayton Bartlett, a junior exploratory studies major from Mahomet, Ill.

Millikin University's Tabor School of Business inducted 24 new members into the Xi Sigma chapter of Delta Mu Delta (DMD) International Honor Society during a virtual induction ceremony on March 31. Delta Mu Delta is a business honor society that recognizes and encourages academic excellence of students at qualifying colleges and universities to create a DMD community that fosters the well-being of its individual members and the business community through lifetime membership. To be eligible for membership, undergraduate students must be at least a junior and have a cumulative GPA of 3.5. MBA students must have completed at least half of the requirements for their degree with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5. Students who are active members are able to qualify for leadership roles within the local chapter, invitations to the international conference, and annual scholarships provided by Delta Mu Delta. Chapters can be installed and members can be initiated only in programs that are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

Millikin University is pleased to announce that Long-Vanderburg Scholar Oluwafunke Odufuwa, a senior political science major with Spanish and pre-law minors from Chicago, has been selected to receive the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship from the U.S. Department of State to study abroad in spring 2021. The U.S. Department of State's Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship is a grant program that enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad. The scholarship program is open to U.S. citizen undergraduate students who are receiving Federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college or university to participate in study and intern abroad programs worldwide. More than 2,500 students nationally were offered awards out of 7,000 total applicants. The award amounts range from $3,000 to $5,000 per student.

Angela Arnold, a senior international business major at Millikin University with minors in music and French, has been named a semifinalist for both the U.S. Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Program to Kyrgyzstan and the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Turkish Program through the U.S. Department of State. A James Millikin Honors Scholar, Arnold is the first Millikin student to be named a semifinalist for the U.S. Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Program.

The Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) Foundation announced the recipients of its prestigious 2019-20 named scholarships which recognize and reward academic excellence. Three members of Millikin University's TKE Beta Chapter were recognized including Max Phillips, a sophomore chemistry major from Salem, Ill., who earned the Lon G. Justice Scholarship. Jared Scott, a junior theatre major from Nashville, Tenn., earned the Bruce B. Melchert Scholarship, and Mac D'Amico, a junior music business major from Mokena, Ill., who received the George W. Woolery Memorial Scholarship. Additionally, sophomore accounting major Reiss Naylor, of Troy, Ill., was named to the 2019-20 All-Teke Academic Team. The TKE Foundation is committed to establishing and supporting scholarships and leadership training programs which promote academic achievement and strengthen the moral, social and community values of its members. Each year the Foundation grants more than $500,000 in scholarships and awards. For more information about the Tau Kappa Epsilon Foundation, visit tke.org.